Moritz Lechner steps down as CEO of New Fluence, heads to Silicon Valley
He was once known as Austria’s youngest founder, has a pivot and an exit under his belt — and is now taking on something new: Moritz Lechner is stepping down from his position as CEO of New Fluence after the company was sold to 1SP Agency Group in November 2024. The founder, who built the company during his youth, cites his desire to launch a new project as the reason for his departure.
From Student to Successful Entrepreneur
Lechner’s entrepreneurial journey began at age 14 with the founding of Freebiebox, which he realized while still in school with just 100 euros in startup capital. At 15, he appeared on the Austrian founder show “2 Minuten 2 Millionen” and secured funding of 170,000 euros from Florian Gschwandtner and other business angels.
When the original business model failed to deliver expected results, Lechner and Chris Pollak executed a strategic pivot in 2021. This pivot decision led to the creation of New Fluence, which subsequently developed significantly more successfully.
Growth and Exit
Within just three years, New Fluence achieved impressive metrics: with over 50 employees, the company grew to several million euros in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) and achieved profitable growth.
In November 2024, the company was sold to the private-equity-backed 1SP Agency Group. Lechner remains with the company as a consultant and supports the build-out of the sales team as well as the transition to the new leadership team under Chris Pollak and Robert Großekathöfer.
Fresh Start in San Francisco
Despite the successful exit, Lechner decided to step back from operational leadership. He cites his desire to take on a new challenge and build a company that will “change the lives of millions” as his reason. The young entrepreneur says his next project will be based in San Francisco.
